What is your Kindergartener's Reading Ability Right Now?

[Anonymous]

I haven't read the responses - my kindergartner can read almost everything. He's very bored in school, and told me his preschool was much more difficult. He's at a parochial school, and I don't think some of his class can read, the work he's bringing home is very basic. We do 1st grade workbooks at night, and have him read to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just say as the parent of older (college aged) kids...don't get too excited either way about your kindergartener's reading ability. Two of our kids were reading at the 2nd ant 3rd grade levels in kindergarten. They graduated from high school as good, but not great students. Another one of our children had absolutely no interest at all in reading. She was definitely not reading in kindergarten. She wasn't really reading on level until second grade. She graduated from high school a National Merit Scholar. Her ACT and SAT scores were insanely nigh. And she is a sophomore in college on a full academic scholarship. Even as a very young toddler, she loved books. She loved to be read to. She loved to look at books. She just had no interest in learning to read until she got older.

Well, this begs the question do you think your younger daughter is more intelligent, or is she simply a more persistant dedicated student. There's a difference in raw ability and execution.

No question. She is more intelligent. She thinks on a completely different level. We have five kids. She is the only one who is academically "gifted". That's why I get so tickled when parents brag about their brilliant children and spend thousands of dollars on test prep and tutoring. We didn't do anything differently with her. She just is who she is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just say as the parent of older (college aged) kids...don't get too excited either way about your kindergartener's reading ability. Two of our kids were reading at the 2nd ant 3rd grade levels in kindergarten. They graduated from high school as good, but not great students. Another one of our children had absolutely no interest at all in reading. She was definitely not reading in kindergarten. She wasn't really reading on level until second grade. She graduated from high school a National Merit Scholar. Her ACT and SAT scores were insanely nigh. And she is a sophomore in college on a full academic scholarship. Even as a very young toddler, she loved books. She loved to be read to. She loved to look at books. She just had no interest in learning to read until she got older.

Well, this begs the question do you think your younger daughter is more intelligent, or is she simply a more persistant dedicated student. There's a difference in raw ability and execution.

No question. She is more intelligent. She thinks on a completely different level. We have five kids. She is the only one who is academically "gifted". That's why I get so tickled when parents brag about their brilliant children and spend thousands of dollars on test prep and tutoring. We didn't do anything differently with her. She just is who she is.

There has never been a correlation for 'age of onset of reading' and 'raw intelligence'. A lot of the kids that come in reading in K were in very academic environments that taught these skills early, they are older (red-shirted), etc. There is a lot of documentation that pushing too early does more harm than good. The play-based movement really took off because it shows kids in these type of nursery environments take off at around Grade 3. They may be behind in the early years because they were developing by play which study, after study shows is the best for development of brain, creativity, analytical skills and social skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just say as the parent of older (college aged) kids...don't get too excited either way about your kindergartener's reading ability. Two of our kids were reading at the 2nd ant 3rd grade levels in kindergarten. They graduated from high school as good, but not great students. Another one of our children had absolutely no interest at all in reading. She was definitely not reading in kindergarten. She wasn't really reading on level until second grade. She graduated from high school a National Merit Scholar. Her ACT and SAT scores were insanely nigh. And she is a sophomore in college on a full academic scholarship. Even as a very young toddler, she loved books. She loved to be read to. She loved to look at books. She just had no interest in learning to read until she got older.

Well, this begs the question do you think your younger daughter is more intelligent, or is she simply a more persistant dedicated student. There's a difference in raw ability and execution.

No question. She is more intelligent. She thinks on a completely different level. We have five kids. She is the only one who is academically "gifted". That's why I get so tickled when parents brag about their brilliant children and spend thousands of dollars on test prep and tutoring. We didn't do anything differently with her. She just is who she is.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just say as the parent of older (college aged) kids...don't get too excited either way about your kindergartener's reading ability. Two of our kids were reading at the 2nd ant 3rd grade levels in kindergarten. They graduated from high school as good, but not great students. Another one of our children had absolutely no interest at all in reading. She was definitely not reading in kindergarten. She wasn't really reading on level until second grade. She graduated from high school a National Merit Scholar. Her ACT and SAT scores were insanely nigh. And she is a sophomore in college on a full academic scholarship. Even as a very young toddler, she loved books. She loved to be read to. She loved to look at books. She just had no interest in learning to read until she got older.

Well, this begs the question do you think your younger daughter is more intelligent, or is she simply a more persistant dedicated student. There's a difference in raw ability and execution.

No question. She is more intelligent. She thinks on a completely different level. We have five kids. She is the only one who is academically "gifted". That's why I get so tickled when parents brag about their brilliant children and spend thousands of dollars on test prep and tutoring. We didn't do anything differently with her. She just is who she is.

There has never been a correlation for 'age of onset of reading' and 'raw intelligence'. A lot of the kids that come in reading in K were in very academic environments that taught these skills early, they are older (red-shirted), etc. There is a lot of documentation that pushing too early does more harm than good. The play-based movement really took off because it shows kids in these type of nursery environments take off at around Grade 3. They may be behind in the early years because they were developing by play which study, after study shows is the best for development of brain, creativity, analytical skills and social skills.

Totally agree. I guess we could have pushed her to read earlier. But I wonder if that would have discouraged her from reading. When she got older, she because such a book worm. It was so bad that I remember taking books away from her at the playground so that she would actual play instead of read. Even now as a college sophomore, she always has a book in her hand.

[Anonymous]

My jr-kindergartener (who has a late bday: Nov., so she missed the cut-off but may be similar in age to a lot of your kindergarteners) has just started reading the very first of the Bob books. About a week ago. It is like a light went off and she realized, "When you put the sounds of the letters all together, it combines to make words." I had repeated the same thing over and over before, but litereally, like I said, it was like the lightbulb suddenly went off about a week ago and she got it. She looked at me in amazement (it was sort of like the Helen Keller "water" moment - lol) and I saids, "I know. . .it's really cool, isn't it?") So, she is just now starting to put the very simplest words together ("Mat" "Sam") by sounding out the words. So, that is where we are. . .

[Anonymous]

Very early reading can be a sign of giftedness, but my older child read really early and for him it was definitely not a sign of language giftedness. That is his weakness. It did turn out to be a sign that he is strong in the non-verbal domain and has a great memory. He was a rapid decoder. Kids who started reading late could blow him out of the water with verbal skills. There are children with dyslexia who are extraordinarly bright. So, as easy as it is to panic I'm just saying if your child doesn't read until 1st grade it doesn't mean he/she will struggle forever or anything like that..

My decoder was also a late talker. We did need lots of intervention, but the late talking didn't mean he had cognitive deficits, just like late reading doesn't mean that either. It could be if the child still isn't readying by say mid-K, the child needs some extra help, just like mine did for late-talking.

[Anonymous]

18:58-to be clear, not at all implying a child who reads later than his peers in K/1 has dyslexia at all, but if the child still struggles in 2nd and even it turns out to be dyslexia all thsat tells you is the child needs extra help.

[Anonymous]

DRA2 score 177 for my K'er. This is out of 193 which is the benchmark for the end of K. Some kids in his class start out already beyond the benchmark reading higher level books, some start out with a much lower number and are just learning letter sounds. So right now, mine is slightly above middle of the road, but honestly I don't think it matters where kids start out in K.

[Anonymous]

I have a question for PPs whose comments reflect testing before or in K. Can you tell me where you are? My son in Arlington K reads well (e.g. today he read the first of the Cardboard Genius series) but I don't think he's been tested or scored or scaled. Curious about what districts or schools are testing in K. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

DD started solidly reading 'hop on pop' type books at 3.5.She's always been a super verbal kid. According to her teacher, DD is reading at end of 2nd grade level. There is one other child in her class who is at that level- but there's a huge range. Some of the kids are only learning the sounds letters make and are pretty far from reading. Do I think early reading will give my child an advantage or is a sign of super giftedness- No! I think that right now, it's a source of pride for her, she feels good about mastering this skill, and I hope this translates into a feeling of confidence about her ability to learn new things. That's all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question for PPs whose comments reflect testing before or in K. Can you tell me where you are? My son in Arlington K reads well (e.g. today he read the first of the Cardboard Genius series) but I don't think he's been tested or scored or scaled. Curious about what districts or schools are testing in K. Thanks.

FCPS in K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just had parent teacher conferences and found out he's reading on the first grade level (with comprehension).

It is not unusual at all for some kids not to be reading at all and some kids to be reading a grade or more ahead. Its kindergarten. I personally feel the stress to force children to read too early is NOT a good thing (speaking as a teacher and parent). Reading consists of several developmental skills (tracking, decoding, memory, comprehension, etc).

The main thing is you want your child to have a healthy and good relationship with books and with reading and to be developing and progressing.

Our K is also reading at 1st grade level. Half his class aren't reading. At our parent teacher conference, his teacher informed us she's forming a reading group for those who can read.

[Anonymous]

My DD sounds very much like 18:58's child. Early reader, decoder, etc and gifted (per WISC) in non-verbal domain but definitely not in verbal skills. She's very musical (plays by ear within a few months of starting piano, and puts tons of expression into her playing) and into math.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs who said there late readers did fine in school. MY DC is in first grade but still can't read well. I know kids develop at different rates but it is hard not to worry!